Culture and Heritage

An artefact display portrays the ‘Story of the Dome’. Various rocks and stones, formed as a result of the impact of the meteorite, are displayed. It also boasts various objects collected in and around the mountain – dating from both the first and second stone age up to the first Voortrekkers, miners in Venterskroon and the Boer Wars.

Archeological:
Excavations revealed clues of the way earlier people lived in the area. We have a number of items on display , ranging from spearheads and shovel like tools made from iron to stone tools and antique equipment used by earlier farmers, soldiers and miners. The rock shelter, kraal structures and mine shafts is part of the magic which lures you to Thabela.

Geological:
Megaforces on a scale beyond our comprehension were at work at the formation of the Vredefort Dome. Layers of earthcrust were tilted, bringing forth valuable materials like granite and goldbearing conglomerate from deep under the earth’s surface. The goldmines of the Witwatersrand and the goldfields around Welkom started as a direct result of what happened at the Dome. From all over the world scientists from different disciplines visit us and are fascinated by the visible catastrophic evidence.

Historical:
The area was home to a number of people who played a significant role in South African history. Paul Kruger, who became the president of the Transvaal Republic, settled on a nearby farm, “Krugerskraal”, after the great Trek. This later became the home of Totius, a renowned poet.

General Christian de Wet, one of the first soldiers to apply guerilla warfare, used the ceiling of the old farmhouse as a hiding place from the English. Danie Theron, a famous reconnaissance soldier, used to intercept and change the heliograph messages the English soldiers used to send in the mountains.